White House pauses all federal grants, sparking confusion  —  Trillions of dollars could be on hold, according to an Office of Management and Budget memo.  —  The White House budget office is ordering a pause to all grants and loans disbursed by the federal government …

Michigan's Gary Peters won't seek reelection to U.S. Senate.  Here's why  —  Washington ― Gary Peters, Michigan's senior senator and a former congressman, said he won't seek reelection next year and will retire from the U.S. Senate when his second term ends in January 2027.

Democrats' playbook for Trump 2.0: Tune out the noise and focus on economic issues  —  As Trump floods the zone in his first week in office, Democrats are departing from their “resistance” strategy in his first term and zeroing in on issues that cost them the last election.

Trump Ousts Top Labor Board Leaders Who Backed Broader Worker Rights  —  Jennifer Abruzzo says she was fired by email late on Monday  —  Donald Trump is forcing out top leaders of the US labor board, ushering in a swift reboot of workplace law enforcement while testing the limits of presidential authority.

120. The Impoundment Crisis of 2025  —  The Trump administration's Monday spending freeze is likely to provoke a crisis over the constitutionality of “impoundment”—one that the justices could well have to resolve *very* soon.  —  Welcome back to “One First,” a weekly newsletter that aims …

The Strategy Behind Trump's Policy Blitz  —  The staff was still setting up dinner on Mar-a-Lago's outdoor patio on a balmy early-January evening when Donald Trump sat down.  He was surrounded by several top advisers who would soon join him in the West Wing and who wanted to get his input …

Trump Administration Halts H.I.V. Drug Distribution in Poor Countries  —  PEPFAR's computer systems also are being taken offline, a sign that the program may not return, as Republican critics had hoped.  —  The Trump administration has instructed organizations in other countries …

House Republicans brace for tough talk on cuts  —  DORAL, Florida — House Republicans are in for a long day of tough conversations about how to pay for President Donald Trump's massive legislative agenda at their Florida retreat, with various factions already drawing red lines over the package.

Acosta La Vista  —  The anchor signaled to associates in private conversations over the weekend that he intends to depart the network, Status has learned. … The anchor, I'm told, signaled to associates in private conversations over the weekend that he intends to depart the network …

Tillis Assured Hegseth's Former Sister-in-Law Her Testimony Could Convince GOP Senators to Vote No  —  North Carolina senator provided pivotal 50th ‘yes’ vote to confirm Hegseth as defense secretary  —  WASHINGTON—A key witness in the contentious Senate confirmation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth …

Google says it will change Gulf of Mexico to ‘Gulf of America’ in Maps after government updates … Google said Monday it will change the name of Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America” after the government updates its “official government sources.”  —  The company also said it will start using Mount McKinley …

Week One inside Trump's DOJ: ‘It feels like a non-violent war’  —  Fear reigns among the staff at the beleaguered law-enforcement agency as a new reality sets in.  —  Career lawyers and staff at the Department of Justice say the rush of changes in the first week of the Trump administration make them feel like they're under siege.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joins immigration enforcement operations in NYC  —  She witnessed both criminal and civil enforcement operations, sources said.  —  Newly sworn in Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem rides along on an immigration enforcement operation in New York City, Jan. 28, 2025.

Trump Administration Payment Freeze May Delay Money For Critical Preschool Program  —  Head Start providers logging onto the online funding system this morning found a message warning of delays because of “potentially unallowable grant payments.”  —  LOADING

The MAGA terror has begun  —  Their leader is glorifying political violence and weaponizing the threat of it.  —  ⛓️‍💥 ✍️ ⚖️ With corporate outlets obeying in advance, supporting independent media is more important right now than ever.

The Largest Tuberculosis Outbreak in U.S. History Is Happening Right Now in Kansas  —  And the news comes as the Trump administration has “paused” all public messaging by the CDC.  —  I always thought I'd missed a lot not having been born in the 19th century.  From The Topeka Capital-Journal:

Johnson Joins the Trump Entourage, Shrinking the Role of House Speaker  —  In positioning himself as a junior partner to the president and doing his bidding on matters large and small, the Louisiana Republican is diminishing a job that involves leading a coequal branch of government.

No Limits: Crypto Scams Set to Proliferate in 2025  —  Donald Trump drew attention when he launched a so-called “meme coin” immediately before his inauguration.  The value of the cryptocurrency, called $TRUMP, reached a price of $73 within a day of its release, giving it a total market valuation of about $72 billion.